In recent years vinyl has seen a huge revival, its popularity amongst punters has swelled to the point that owning a turntable is expected from any self-professed music fan. Now, one Austrian company is hoping to do the same thing and revive the reel-to-reel tape player.
Audiophile company Horch House have begun their work on Project R2R. They’re seeking to give the old audio player a new life the same way vinyl received theirs, and manufacture commercially viable reel-to-reel tape players. Speaking of the project, Horch House said in a statement “Audio tape is the only format that can record and play back pure, natural sound in its whole and original state.”
“Every other format requires some form of interference with the original audio signal. Audio tape is therefore the only format which allows the listener to hear a recording exactly the way the original artist and producer intended it to sound, before it was altered to fit on a vinyl record, sampled for a CD or squashed down to MP3 size.”
Although Project R2R is still in the development stages they’re hoping to have it ready in May for the Munich High-End Show. How much will the reel-to-reel players cost you ask? Chances are it will set you back a fair few clams. Washington DC company United Home Products have been making their own similar projects and are going for a cool $11 ooo.
So whatever you do, don’t throw out those old tapes kids, they may come in handy one day.
Story first seen on FACT.
